Pocket knives



Dec. 18, 1956 E. s. POLK 2,774,139

POCKET KNIVES Filed May 31, 1952 [NI 'ENTOR. EM/L 6. POLK United States Patent POCKET KNIVES Emil S. Polk, New York, N. Y.

Application May 31, 1952, Serial No. 291,030

2 Claims. (Cl. 30-161) This invention relates to improvements in pocket knives.

It is an object of the instant invention to provide a pocket knife in which the usual spring for holding the blade in the open and closed position has been eliminated.

A further object is to provide a pocket knife in which the danger of premature closing and opening has been substantially eliminated.

Another object is to provide a pocket knife of simple and rugged construction.

Other objects of the instant invention will become apparent in the course of the following specification.

In the attainment of the aforesaid objectives, the present pocket knife consists of a casing with open top, one open end, and a partially open bottom adjacent the open end. A blade is pivotally disposed intermediate the side members adjacent the open end. A fixed U shaped cover is disposed over substantially one-half of the casing at the closed end while a slidable U-shaped cover over the remainder of the casing locks and unlocks the blade for opening and closing while at the same time providing an unbroken cover or handle in the completely closed or completely opened positions of the blade.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevational View of the improved pocket knife constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention;

Figure 2 is a top view of pocket knife shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a bottom view of the pocket knife shown in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a sectional view along 4-4 of Figure l but on an enlarged scale;

Figure 5 is a sectional view along 55 of Figure 1, also enlarged;

Figure 6 is a sectional view along 6-6 of Figure 2;

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 1 but with the blade unlocked and shown in dot and dash in the partially and the fully opened positions; and

' Figure 8 is a View similar to Figure 7 but with the blade in the fully opened position and locked.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawings Where like reference numerals indicate like parts, reference numeral 10 indicates the blade, and 11 the handle.

The blade 10 may be any of the usual types having a shank 12 and an integrally formed cutting edge 13. If desired, the blade 10 may also have the usual nail grip 14 recessed therein.

The handle 11 consists of the casing 15, the fixed cover 16, and the slidable cover or sleeve 17.

The casing 15 consists of the spaced parallel side members 18 and 19 integrally formed with a partial bottom member 20 most clearly shown in Figure 6, the bottom member extending from one end inwardly for about onehalf the length of the side members with the end closed by any suitable member 21 disposed along corresponding edges of the side and partial bottom members. As shown in Figures 1 and 7, the upper periphery of each side 2,774,139 Patented Dec. 18, 1956 member is cut out along similar aligned arcuate lines 22 to expose the nail grip 14 when the knife is moved from the closed to the opened position as later shown. Thus, the casing 15 is of U-shape with an open top 23 (Figs. 4 and 5), one closed end (Fig. 6), a partial bottom member 20 adjacent the closed end, one open end, and an open bottom adjacent the open end.

The shank 12 of the blade 10 is pivotally secured by any known means 24 intermediate the side members 18 and 19 adjacent the open end of the casing so that the blade may swing about its pivot in and out of the open top of the casing 15.

The fixed cover 16 is disposed over the casing 15 at the closed end thereof and may incorporate member 21 and is of U-shape with the integrally formed flanges 25 and 26 (Fig. 2) which are inwardly directed to extend just over the tops of the side members 18 and 19.

The slidable cover or sleeve 17 is also of U-shape cross-section (Figs. 4 and 5) open, at both'ends, and is slidably mounted over the remaining portion of the casing in opposed relationship with the fixed cover 16.

As seen in Figure 4, the bottom of sleeve 17 is provided with an aperture or slot 29, aligned with the space formed between sidewalls 18 and 19 of casing 15. The thickness of slot 29 is slightly larger than that of shank 12. This slot 29, as seen in Figure 3, extends only a part of the way along the bottom of sleeve 17. Flanges 27 and 28 on the normally uppermost part of sleeve 17 extend over side walls 18 and 19 of casing 15 and permit free movement of blade 10 and shank 12 therebetween.

In operation:

Assume that the present picket knife is in the closed position as shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3 and that it is desired to open the blade. The slidable cover or sleeve 17 is moved longitudinally to the right as shown in Figure 7 and is prevented from moving too far by the stop 30 (Fig. 6), the stop being formed by a projection inwardly directed from the bottom of the slidable cover and moved into engagement with an edge of the bottom member 20 when the slidable cover is moved into the open position shown in Fig. 7. By inserting a finger nail into the nail grip 14 the blade 10 can be rotated to the partially opened position shown in Figure 7, one corner of the shank rotating through the slot 29, and thence to the fully opened position as further shown (Figs. 7 and 8). By pulling the slidable cover or sleeve 17 back against the inner edge of the fixed cover 16, the bottom of sleeve 17 will engage the bottom of the shank to securely lock the blade in the fully opened position. By reversing the steps, the blade can again be moved to the closed position with little danger of premature opening since the bottom of the slidable cover or sleeve when against the fixed cover will also lock the closed blade in position.

It is thus seen that a pocket knife has been provided with a slidable sleeve moving over the blade casing, said sleeve serving to lock the blade in open or closed position by the coaction of a slot 29 in the bottom of the sleeve and the shank 12 of the blade.

It will be understood that various changes may be made in details within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is, therefore, to be understood that the present invention is not to be limited to the specific details shown and described.

What is claimed is:

l. A pocket knife comprising a casing, the casing comprising spaced parallel side members and a bottom member integrally formed with the corresponding edges of the side members at one end, the casing having an open top and one open end and one closed end and a bottom opening adjacent the open end, a blade for the a 3 casing, means for pivotallyscuring the shank of the blade intermediate the side'members adjacent said open end, a fiXed U-shaped cover with open top disposed over a portion of the side and bottom members, the fixed cover having an 'inner'end spaced from the open'end of said casing a distance'greater thantwice the length of the shank of'the blade, a slidable cover of U-shap'ed cross-section for the remainder of the 'side' members in opposed relationship to the fixed cover, the slidable cover further having inwardly directed flanges over-the open top of the casing, the U-shaped slidable cover further having formed in thebottom thereof a longitudinal slot coacting with'the shank, and an'inwardly'directed stop disposed on the bottom of the slidable cover and adapted for engagement with an edge of' the casing to prevent disengagement of the slidable cover.

2. A pocket knife'comprising a casing, the casing comprising spaced parallel side members and a bottom member integrally formedwith corresponding edges'of the side members at one end and an end member disposed intermediate corresponding edges of the side and bottom members, the bottom member having a length'substantially equal to-one-half the length of -the side members, a blade for the casing, means for pivotally securing the shank of the blade intermediate the side members adjacent one endthereof, afixed'U-shaped'coverdisposed over the side and bottom members at the other end of the casing, a U-shaped slidable cover disposed over the side members and in opposed relationship with the fixed cover, the slidable cover being open at bothends and having inwardly directed flanges over the open top of the casing, the slidable coverfurther having a longitudinal slot formed in the bottom thereof, the length of the slot being substantially equal to the length of the shank, and a stop disposed on the innersurface oftthe bottom of the slidable cover and adapted for engagement with an edge of the casing to prevent disengagement of the slidable cover.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 444,094 Drabble Jan. 6,;1891 873,206 Berns Dec. 10, 1907 1,036,664 Marble Aug. 27,1912 1,972,147 Jones Sept. 4, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS 27,426 Switzerland Jan. 24, 1903 

